Key Points
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves Beijing following a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
- Local Chinese authorities removed restrictions on Tesla cars, as the vehicles passed data security requirements.
Elon Musk arrived in Beijing over the weekend, on Sunday, April 28, for an unexpected meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
CNBC reported that the local Chinese authorities have removed the restrictions on Tesla cars after the company’s China-made vehicles passed the security requirements in the country.
Tesla’s electric cars are some of the most popular vehicles in China, but they have been reportedly banned from some government-related properties due to concerns regarding data collection.
CNBC reported that Tesla‘s press release did not state which local authorities had removed the restrictions on the vehicles. The Biden administration announced a probe in 2024 into whether imported cars from China posed national security risks stemming from their ability to collect data about the US.
France24 announced that the tech billionaire boarded a plate departing Beijing today, citing an AFP journalist who confirmed that the firm won a key data security clearance from authorities in China.
The same website notes that the magnate boarded his private jet at Beijing Capital Airport at 5:00 GMT with Chinese state-backed flight tracking app Utrip, saying that the plane was headed for Anchorage, Alaska.
According to reports from Bloomberg, the US electric car giant also seems to be getting closer to government approval to use its assisted driving technology in China by teaming up with Baidu tech titan for maps and navigation features-related purposes.
Tesla cars remain among the best-selling electric vehicles in China
France24 also notes that despite intense competition from companies such as BYD, Tesla cars are still among the best-selling electric vehicles in China.
Musk’s company is reportedly trying to boost sales with features such as Full Self Driving (FSD) which have to be compliant with strict data and privacy laws.
According to The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the vehicles have been in testing since November 2023, with a national computer security regulator analyzing how the cars collect and process data, including personal info and recordings of faces outside the car.
Tesla said that its advanced driving features do not make the car fully autonomous, and the Autopilot and FSD features are only meant to be used under driver supervision.
This month, Musk said on X that the FSD availability in China could be possible very soon, France24 says. Tesla reached an accord with Chinese authorities for a plant in Shanghai, its first outside the United States, in 2018, as pointed out by Reuters press agency.
Elon Musk made headlines last week when he said that Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is still in the lab, but it could be ready for selling as soon as the end of 2025.
